Rockets bounce back against Timberwolves 97-84

MINNEAPOLIS – If Wednesday is any indication, by Saturday night, Rick Adelman will be hoarse and worn out.

With Rockets weary on the second half of a back-to-back, and struggling to put away the Timberwolves, Adelman was up and loud, pushing hard and taking no chances.

Finally, Luis Scola looked over and said, "It’s all right, it’s all right," then made sure it was, as the Rockets brushed aside the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter, extending their winning streak against Minnesota to nine games with a 97-84 win, pushing the Minnesota losing streak since their opening-night win to 11 games.

"I thought we were really sluggish in the first half especially," Adelman said of his more animated, high-volume evening. "We turned it over. We had 14 turnovers at halftime. That’s what we average. I just thought we just weren’t into the game, so I was trying to push them.

"I told them, ‘That team needs a win. Well, we do, too."

He eventually got the Rockets’ energy back to pull speed. Scola, however, did what he usually does under such circumstances, pushing himself to his best when fatigue becomes a challenge. He had 20 points and a season-high 16 rebounds against the Wolves.

Rockets forward Luis Scola shoots over the Timberwolves' Al Jefferson in the first quarter.

Rockets forward Luis Scola shoots over the Timberwolves' Al Jefferson in the first quarter.

Photo: Jim Mone, AP

Photo: Jim Mone, AP

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Rockets forward Luis Scola shoots over the Timberwolves' Al Jefferson in the first quarter.

Rockets forward Luis Scola shoots over the Timberwolves' Al Jefferson in the first quarter.

Photo: Jim Mone, AP

Rockets bounce back against Timberwolves 97-84

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"It could be seven straight games and he’s not going to change the way he plays," Adelman said. "That’s who he is. He just keeps playing. He just keeps working. He gives us energy."

In the second half of back-to-backs this season, all Rockets wins, he is averaging 21 points and 14 rebounds, making 57.7 percent of his shots. In the Rockets other nine games, with the Rockets going 4-5, he is averaging 12.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and making 47.9 percent.

"I never think about that," Scola said. "All I can say is when I’m tired, I try to play with extra energy, just to compensate. If I’m tired, if I find myself off a little bit – I didn’t know I got better numbers in the second half of a back-to-back. I have to check that out – I don’t think about it.

"I was talking to myself a little bit. I was trying to fire myself up."

Though the Timberwolves were off since Saturday, with the Rockets facing the Lakers and Suns since, the Rockets outrebounded the Timberwolves, 46-36, outscored them in the paint, 44-32, and on second-chance points, 15-14, making up for the sloppiness that kept the Rockets from blowing the game open much earlier.

"We have a lot of guys like that," Shane Battier said. "When Luis gets it going, he works so hard, if you don’t match his energy and his effort, you feel bad. That’s the good thing about this team. We have a lot of effort guys that we can draw inspiration from."

The game did end one streak, with the Rockets failing to reach 100 points for the first time since opening night. But with five players scoring in double figures, the Rockets continued their season-long trend of never losing consecutive games.

After leading most of the night, the Rockets finally pulled away down the stretch.

Kyle Lowry, who made 5 of 7 shots for his 11 points, hit a jumper as the Wolves went under screens to dare him to shoot. Hayes, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds, drove to layup. Scola, whose 16 rebounds were a season-high, put in a Hayes miss. When Ariza drove to a layup, he had 18 and the Rockets had rebuilt their 10-point lead.

Unlike Tuesday, when the game slipped away when the Rockets missed each shot in a three-attempt possession, on Wednesday, they sealed the win by missing three shots.

This time, however, they led by nine, got the rebound after each miss and milked the clock down to the game’s last 90 seconds before they let the Wolves get the ball back. When they did, Ariza stole it and set up Scola on a break to end all remaining doubt.

"There’s going to be days I don’t have it and I’m going to have to feed off someone else’s energy," Scola said. "That’s the basis of a good team. When you are down, somebody has to pick you up a little bit. That’s the way a team works."

Scola made sure it worked well enough on Wednesday, but he also understood Adelman’s intensity.

"I drive him crazy, sometimes," Scola said. By the time they left the floor, however, Adelman had no complaints.